ASVAB Practice

Waves, Sound, and Light

Wave formula: v = f × λ (speed = frequency × wavelength) - Frequency (f): cycles per second, in Hz. - Wavelength (λ): distance between successive crests. - Amplitude: wave height; related to energy and intensity.

Sound: Longitudinal (compression) wave. Travels through matter; cannot travel through a vacuum. Speed in air ≈ 340 m/s.

Light: Transverse electromagnetic wave. Speed ≈ 3 × 10⁸ m/s in vacuum. Can travel through a vacuum.

Visible spectrum (low → high frequency): Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (ROY G BIV). Red has the lowest frequency and longest wavelength; violet has the highest frequency.

Full EM spectrum (low → high frequency): Radio → Microwave → Infrared → Visible → Ultraviolet → X-ray → Gamma ray.

Other concepts in General Science